


A War of Our Own - Part 3

by Evagorn



Series: A War of Our Own (HEARTBEAT TTRPG 2) [3]
Category: HEARTBEAT (Video Game)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-05 12:02:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21208211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evagorn/pseuds/Evagorn
Summary: Our Heroes strike out to destroy the third and final relay, gaining the aid of new allies.Their strength united can overcome even the most terrible danger...





	A War of Our Own - Part 3

We rejoin our heroes once more on the waters surrounding Middeluge in search of the final relay. While they travel, the group begins to discuss their course of action and how they intend to approach. Johannes first offers the idea that he and Verticus can employ a similar strategy as they had with the previous relay: Johannes causes a distraction while Verticus leaps in to destroy the relay. However, Ondo points out that Humans have the capability to communicate instantly, and that it should be assumed that they will be ready and waiting for the team this time. This causes further deliberation within the group as they continue to try and sort out their course of action.

While this is happening, May appears somewhat more withdrawn than usual, as seems to have been shaken by something. Shana comforts her, and this helps, if not totally assuaging her distress. The discussion then turns to a discussion of whether or not the group should head to Scavibble first. This would give them time to regroup, and also warn the townspeople. Ondo explains that doing so would set them on a different course, so they’d have to decide between going to the relay or Scavibble. They decide to stick with the relay, but before they can put their plan into motion, they see something on the horizon.

Three Human ships are fast approaching, and the group has to make a split-second decision. They decide instead to head to Scavibble, and Ondo flips the boat into motion and turns it that way. They are soon closely pursued by three Human vessels commanded by Admiral Dregs, Ondo’s former commanding officers. The Admiral calls out using a loudspeaker for them to stop, and when they naturally refuse, Dregs orders his people to open fire. Before this can happen, Verticus manages to disable Dregs’ ship with a bolt of lightning, causing him to fall behind. The other two ships manage to fire off their weapons, but only one actually connects with the heroes’ ship, causing it to shudder. Immediately after, Shana and Johannes spring into action, each charging towards one of the other ships. Johannes leaps into the air to cause a distraction, while Shana charges straight into try and strike down gunners to stop the attack.

Shana manages to frighten the gunner and force her to recoil in terror, then with a swing of her scythe Shana is able to destroy the weapon to prevent it from being used again. Using Johannes’ distraction, Verticus leaps in the water and is able to fire a bolt of lightning that disables another enemy vessel, causing it to slip further away as well. Seeing their comrades unable to pursue, the final vessel - where Shana was attacking - realizes that the effort is useless and stops their ship as well, allowing the heroes to escape.

They take a moment to inspect the damage, and Verticus is able to notice a small fissure in the hull below the waterline. Everyone realizes that this could result in them sinking if not addressed soon, and May asks Shana if she could use her ice powers to freeze the hole, if only temporarily. Somewhat reluctantly, Shana agrees, and is able to create a temporary patch. In urgent need of a landing place, the team sets out across the water once more.

Eventually they do manage to reach Scavibble, though their ship quickly sinks afterwards, presumably leaving them stranded. The townspeople naturally gravitate towards such an odd sight, and demand to know our heroes to identify themselves. As they begin to explain, two Kappas appear: Split and Flask! They survived the trip and were able to reach Scavibble safely. They both offer to help repair the ship, as well as find a place for Shana and the others a place to rest. Split hugs Shana to assure her of his sincerity, and whispers “It’s the least I can do for you.”

The townspeople are less than eager to jump to our heroes’ aid, so they are instead taken down to a building at the south end of town. Split knocks on the door and after a moment a huge Rakshasa emerges. Split asks if this Rakshasa and his brothers would be willing to help the heroes, and after a brief deliberation, he welcomes them all inside.

The team is ushered into a kind of shop, where they are introduced to Big Sean and Coach Flexo, two Rakshasa brothers. Cordial greetings and introductions are exchanged all around, with Flexo’s exuberance warming up the group. Finally, a third Rakshasa emerges, a short cat wearing glasses who introduces himself as Dr. Brainy. He declares his interest in knowing of the heroes’ adventures, and suggests they convene upstairs to discuss matters. While Sean and Flexo close up shop, the team heads upstairs.

They enter a rather cozy room, and while Brainy sits at his desk, the group explains all that has transpired since the attack on Middeluge. Brainy jots down notes of everything they say, asking clarifying questions and repeating summarize back as necessary. Once he has a good grasp on the situation, he asks what the group intends to do next. After some discussion, they decide that they have to destroy the third relay and stop the threat of the giant robot once and for all. Before they go, Brainy asks if they would be interested in having their abilities augmented. He explains that he has been experimenting with Cores, and has the ability to infuse them with Mog Essence to make them stronger. The group agrees, and Brainy takes the time to empower them all.

They head back downstairs, and Brainy asks his brother Sean to go with the group to help, which Sean readily agrees to do. They head outside to find their ship back in working order. With their plan of attack settled, the team sets out towards the final relay.

They reach the island without resistance, but find it heavily guarded. They ready themselves, empowering their weapons and getting themselves into position to strike. Shana opens the battle by striking down one of the enemies with a single blow, and the fight breaks out in earnest. Each of the heroes jumps into the fray in their own fashion, but Azael surprises them all by assume a new Mogwai form which has wings. He swoops into battle with a heavy blow to one of the enemy Ro-Bits, and the rest of the team follows suit. However, the enemy proves more powerful than before, and the heroes receive savage blows in return.

Then, in the back, the Human Mage pulls out a remote control and presses a switch, which calls forth the deadly Crimson Blade to attack them once more. The fight takes a turn for the worst now, and the heroes fight desperately to keep from being overcome by the enemies’ redoubled force. Meanwhile, Big Sean calls out for them to keep the big machine distracted while he powers up his ultimate attack. Verticus leaps into action, using his Volt Magic to keep the Crimson Blade weakened, preventing it from operating at peak capacity. Yet it still poses a dreadful threat, and the team only narrowly avoids being gored by its massive blades multiples times.

Finally, Big Sean is able to unleash a devastating blast that tears away three of the Blade’s arms, and causes it to collapse to the ground in a several weakened state. With a concerted effort on all sides, the team is finally able to put the machine monster down once and for all, as well as destroy the remaining Ro-Bits and knock the last Human warrior unconscious. The only one left standing is the Human Mage, but as he attempts to flee or call for help, he realizes he has been abandoned by his Human allies.

After the battle, Shana approaches the Human Mage and demands he tell her what she wants to know, threatening to tear him limb from limb if he fails to answer her. May, having aided in the battle in her own way, attempts to stop Shana from speaking so harshly, but Shana lashes out at the girl, causing May to retreat in fear. Shana resumes her interrogation, and the Human does offer what he knows.

He explains that the Captain of this whole operation is named Melina, an engineering Prodigy who created the Crimson Blade by herself. Some time ago, Melina was contacted by a mysterious woman named Whist, who told her stories of the Old Gods of Solum, sufficient to convince Melina to take Conjurers and bring them here to Middeluge. The man says he has no idea where Whist is now, but he tells them that Melina’s next destination was Pretorricane to the east. With the information gleaned, the team leaves the Humans to their fate and returns to Scavibble to discuss their next move.

After relating to Brainy and Flexo what transpired on the island, the group is left with a choice to make. On the one hand, they consider pursuing Captain Melina to Pretorricane. But on the other, Shana remembers the note she received from S back in the Sea Breeze in. Brainy explains that he once received a similar note from someone named L, but his note said “Claw” instead of “Saber”. Brainy’s note was given to him in Chopskinsville, which is on the way to Los Monstrous. Azael points out that he is from Chopskinsville, and that he feels confident he could find contacts there that would be able to help them in their fight against Melina. The group finally decides that getting help would be the best course of action, and decide to head to Los Monstrous by way of Chopskinsville.

There is a general concern over if Middeluge is safe, but Ondo points out that if Melina was willing to leave her troops behind like that, it’s likely she already achieved whatever goal she had set out to achieve in the first place. With that in mind, Big Sean says to his brothers that they should join the heroes in their quest. It takes only a brief contemplation before both Flexo and Brainy agree. But with that decided, Ondo then asks what they all would like him to do. Johannes speaks for the group when he says that, true to their word, Ondo is free to go home. He is reluctant, stating that he worries about making them have to face this alone. But they assure him that they’ll be fine, and that his family is waiting for him back home. With a wistful smile, he shakes each of their hands, and tells them all his first name is Beckett, and if they are ever in Harbei that they should come visit him. With that, he departs.

With their new goal in sight, the heroes ready themselves for the next stage of their journey. What dangers await them in Chopskinsville? Just what was Melina truly after? And what will they find at the end of this mysterious note? We shall see...

* * *

The air is hot, almost oppressive, in the hold of the ship, and smells faintly of... Sulphur? Melina wrinkles her nose at the repulsive odor, but presses on. The Admiral walks by her side, and does not seem as disturbed by the odd stench. But when his good eye falls on the large prison container which has been set up at the back of cargo hold, he pauses. The enclosure is mostly solid walls, with only a small, barred opening at the front.

“Just what the hell is that?” Dregs grumbles. “I don’t remember authorizing-”

The bars rattle as a clawed hand lashes against them, accompanied by a ferocious, guttural snarl from inside. The two guards set to either side of the enclosure flinch away at the sound, though they try to regain some semblance of their dignity in the face of their commanding officers.

Melina is annoyed with their cowardice, but does not press the matter.

“Where is she?” She asks one of the guards.

The guard points off into the shadows of the hold. “She, uh, she’s over there.”

Melina turns her attention towards the darkness and calls out. “Out with you, then. I want to see the fruits of your labor first hand.”

From out of the shade, a figure emerges. Her attire is gaudy, with garish yet dark colors, markings on her hood, and an elaborate skull-headed staff. The girl’s face is ghastly, almost death-like, and “girl” seems to be the appropriate word. She looks hardly older than twenty, despite the hollowness of her gaze.

She nods at Melina as she emerges. “Hello, Captain.”

“Well?” Melina snaps the small crop she carries against her palm. “One of these rituals of yours was successful, it seems, so show me what you’ve achieved. I wish to know if what Whist told me was true or not.”

The girl nods again, then faces the cage. “Tell them to open it.”

“Melina,” Dregs begins, only to have Melina cut him off.

“Captain Melina,” she replies shortly.

Dregs grumbles. “You finally get promoted to a rank above mine and now you’re all high and mighty. But you always were-”

Again, Melina slaps her crop sharply, silencing him, “If you have a point to make, Dregs, make it quickly. I am rather impatient at the moment.”

With another growl, Dregs says “Just what the hell is going on here? Who is that girl? What’s in that cage?”

“Your questions will be answered if you will just keep your mouth shut.”

Clearly affronted, Dregs folds his arms and watches.

Finally, Melina motions for the guards to do as the girl bid them. They do so with more courage than they displayed earlier, though with considerable haste. Once the lock is undone, they dart away from the door. At once it snaps open. The interior is in shadow, but from within there is a faintly pulsing red light, as if there is a malignant heart beating there in the darkness. Then, a clawed hand seizes the edge of the enclosure, leaving bright red marks against the metal.

Melina watches in morbid fascination as a terrible figure hauls itself out of the cage. He is in the shape of a man, that much she can see, but he has been... changed. His face is covered by what appears to be a horned mask. He is covered head to foot in fearsome armor, and baleful flames emanate from his entire person. He turns those burning eyes on Melina, and, despite herself, she shudders to behold them.

The creature moves towards her, but the girl raises her skull staff first. The fiend recoils, giving a sharp cry as if in pain, and turns towards the girl.

“Obey,” the girl intones, eyes fixed on the creature.

And, amazingly, the creature does. It straightens its posture, standing steady and watchful.

“Incredible,” Melina whispers. “So you _can_ control it.”

“Quite,” the robed girl turns to Melina, “as can you, given the proper tools.”

Dregs stares at the monstrosity before him, utterly aghast. “Is that... is that the Conjurer we brought with us? That boy?”

The robed girl gives a low, malicious chuckle. “Not anymore. He is something far greater, now.”

One of the guards, a woman, upon seeing this fiend, promptly loses her lunch all over the cargo hold floor. The other male guard looks likewise ready to faint, and closes his eyes rather than continue to look at the horror before him. But Melina does not look away.

“I want to see its strength first hand,” Melina explains. “Would that be possible?”

“Certainly,” the girl replies. “What sort of test do you desire?”

Melina pulls out one of her remotes and hits a series of buttons. This causes one of the crates in the hold to open, and three of her mechanical warriors step forth. They are the Mark II model, fast and deadly, easily comparable to any Human soldier, but even more loyal. Melina nods at the girl. “See if it can destroy these three.”

The girl’s smile is sardonic. She points her skull staff at the machines. “Destroy them.”

The horned fiend gives a blood curdling scream, and a blade appears in its hand as if materialized by the flames. It leaps across the hold towards the Ro-Bits, all of whom raise their blades to defend themselves. Melina watches, expecting a serious battle. But what she witnesses is a slaughter. The creature bats aside their blades with only its hands, and each of its blows cuts through the Ro-Bits like a blow torch. In a matter of moments, the fiend has reduced Melina’s precious Ro-Bits to shreds of scrap and half melted slag. It stands over the carnage, smoke escaping from the hideous mouthpiece of its mask, and it looks towards the girl as if to see if she is satisfied.

The girl in turn faces Melina, and Melina nods. “Very impressive.”

“In that case,” the girl reaches into her cloak and pulls out a strange, golden ring. It is in the shape of a skull, with twinkling emeralds for eyes. “Take this. It is attuned to the Heartbeat of these creatures and will allow you to control them. Go ahead, try it.”

Melina takes the ring, looking it over suspiciously. “Do I need to wear it? It looks far too big for my fingers.”

“Holding it will suffice.”

Closing her fist around the ring, Melina turns to the creature. “You there, return to your cell.”

The creature looks at her a moment with those hellish eyes, then does as bidden. It shuffles into the cage, the tip of its blade dragging across the ground and leaving a burning gouge as it does. Once inside its prison once more, it turns to face Melina, silently watching.

“Close the doors,” Melina orders. It takes a moment for the guards to regain their composure, but they eventually obey. The cage is locked once more, and the hold goes quiet.

That is, until Dregs bursts out. “Are you out of your fucking mind!” His shriek echoes through the metal crates. “What have you done to that poor boy? You’ve turned him into a monster worse than any Mogwai!”

“I have turned him into a weapon, Dregs,” Melina explains patiently. “A weapon we can use to defeat the Mogwai once and for all. Once I have enough of these creatures, I’ll be able to wage war against them as they have never seen. And I will crush them.”

Melina can tell by the set of Dregs’ jaw and the fury in his eye that he is not happy. She shakes her head. A pity, but how could she expect someone so simple to understand?

“I won’t be part of this,” Dregs states firmly. “I don’t give a damn if you think this is for the good of Humanity. I will not be complicit in this... this atrocity. I’ve half a mind to report you to Command this instant.”

Melina narrows her eyes at him. “Do you mean to tell me you intend insubordination?”

“I intend to keep my soul!” He barks back. “It’s too late for you, clearly.”

Melina nods once. With a smooth motion, she pulls a handgun from her belt and fires once into Dregs’ throat. He grasps at his ruined neck as the blood seeps through his fingers and out of his lips. He falls to his knees, gurgling as he tries to breathe. Melina puts one more bullet through his head, putting the bastard out of his misery. He falls to the floor and goes still.

“Clean up the body,” Melina says to the guards, “and also that disgraceful vomit.” She then faces the girl. “You may inform Whist that our deal remains intact, and that I am satisfied with the results so far. I trust that I shall find similar success in Preotorricane.”

“As the gods will,” the girl replies with a slow nod, then slinks back into the shadows and vanishes.

Melina gives one last look at the cage, where her weapon waits, then strides up the steps to the ship’s main deck. After all, she still had a war to win.


End file.
